Work–family conflict (WFC) is a worldwide and timeless dilemma that negatively and significantly impacts the performance of employees, families, and organizations. It intensifies when the career is engineering, the employee is female, and the job environment requires heavy-duty and field tasks. The present study investigates the WFC in an engineering environment for female engineers and studies many women-related issues in Yemen. Three questionnaires targeted 130 female engineer graduates, 60 senior engineers, and 20 female engineers’ husbands. The results indicated that marriage is strongly and negatively correlated to educational performance, job opportunities, and job continuity. The present study suggests that, in conservative societies, disruptions from family-to-work are more pronounced compared to work-to-family. Several external factors, including low stipends, economic downturns, and political crises, have a negative impact on job opportunities and job spillover. A significant finding revealed that the average wage of female engineers in Yemen is USD 145, which is 3.822 times lower than that of their male counterparts. The survey results indicated that only single female engineers, but not married female engineers, are currently employed in the industrial and construction sector. Most female engineering graduates are working in jobs unrelated to engineering. Employed females face balancing professional responsibilities, household tasks, and social commitments. Society needs to implement policies that alleviate the pressure on women’s work and promote and support dual-earning couples to enhance family income. The present study recommends organizations offer flexible work schedules, allow remote work options, and create a healthy work environment to address the work–family imbalance, particularly in male-dominated environments.

The synthesis of nanoparticles using plant extracts has received great attentions during the last two decades. That is plausibly due to its simple, rapid, toxic-free, and efficient reactions. In this study, a unique green method for preparing silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) using the extract of Qat (or Khat) leaves is reported. The method is cheap, easy and has a potential for mass production of nanoparticles. Qat is a fast growing plant used mostly as stimulant in Yemen and South African countries and contains dozens of phytochemicals in its leaves. These chemicals are extracted from Qat leaves in an aqueous solution and used as a reducing agent and surfactant in the reaction. The structure and morphology of Ag nanoparticles are confirmed using multidisciplinary characterization tools. The results showed well dispersed spherical particles with an average size of 18.11 nm. The surfactant coated on the particles are confirmed using FTIR technique. Moreover, this green method is applicable for large scale production with an efficient cost due to rapid reaction and the wide availability of the plant leaves.

Serious concerns have been raised over the consistent academic underperformance of Yemeni students at almost all levels of university studies. This paper investigates the impact of various socioeconomic factors on the academic performance of engineering students in Taiz State, Yemen, an impoverished and unstable society. Our quantitative methodology employed a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire and targeted 596 female/male students from three engineering colleges in Taiz State. Data were analyzed using SPSS software and simple and multiple regression models to examine the impact of socioeconomic variables on academic achievement while moderating financial condition and gender. This study measured academic achievement through GPAs, student attendance, and English level. Many socioeconomic influences have been examined against academic performance, such as gender, family income, family stability, family openness, marital status, co-education, part-time jobs, and stimulant use. The results accurately specified that students’ gender considerably impacts the studied variables; moreover, low-income features of families negatively affect students’ academic performance. The outcome of this study indicated that socioeconomic variables matched well with GPA, attendance rate, and English level, but with higher matching to the attendance rate. This study highlights that university students in impoverished and unstable societies, like Yemen, are significantly affected by socioeconomic factors. It recommends coordinated efforts among government authorities, educational institutions, and community leaders to mitigate the negative impact on academic achievement and implement appropriate technologies to enhance performance. Additionally, conducting similar studies in other disciplines and communities within the country is recommended for a deeper understanding of this issue.